Best sound card for headphones

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WildMonkey

Gawd
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Nov 1, 2007
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I want to know what is the best or very good sound cards for headphones.

I use high grade Sennheiser cans, anything from HD280, RS 180, to HD 650, and others.

Since I use my computer for games, movies, tv, music, etc.. with headphones I'm real picky about hisses, crackles and pops from inferior hardware.

TIA.
 
Get yourself a dedicated amp/dac all in one which will be better than any sound cards available.
 
Need a budget and how much do you game? The best soundcard is probably the Creative ZxR atm.
 
price is of no concern (within reason) and I really do not like disturb others with what I listen to, I really have no need for a receiver next to my computer, unless it would be by far teh superior choice, but wouldn't I still need a good sound card anyway?
 
spaceman said:
Need a budget and how much do you game? The best soundcard is probably the Creative ZxR atm.
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I can't even find ZxR's in stock, well except for lame ebayers. It is indeed an impressive card, but for $250 I really don't need that stupid looking control knob and the daughter board. Would be sweet if I can find just the card like OEM or something.
 
WildMonkey said:
I can't even find ZxR's in stock, well except for lame ebayers. It is indeed an impressive card, but for $250 I really don't need that stupid looking control knob and the daughter board. Would be sweet if I can find just the card like OEM or something.
Click to expand...

I just ordered one on Amazon...they will ship next week. That's not THAT bad.
 
What do you mean by not able to use it for gaming. The Modi is a DAC and the Magni an amp, the Modi has USB out that he can connect up to his comp. The Magni's is RCA'd to the Modi.
 
I have HD 650s and RS-2s and the Creative Titanium HD has seem pretty solid so far. I've had it since Christmas with no problems. I briefly thought of the ASUS cards but have heard about numerous problems with their drivers and support. Like you I am very sensitive to static, etc but it ha been very clean.

I had also thought about a DAC but wanted to keep my desk cleaner with an internal card. Also from some sampling not all DACs are up to snuff.
 
memphist0 said:
I have HD 650s and RS-2s and the Creative Titanium HD has seem pretty solid so far. I've had it since Christmas with no problems. I briefly thought of the ASUS cards but have heard about numerous problems with their drivers and support. Like you I am very sensitive to static, etc but it ha been very clean.

I had also thought about a DAC but wanted to keep my desk cleaner with an internal card. Also from some sampling not all DACs are up to snuff.
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I'm surprised you are cool with running the HD 650's through the Titanium HD. I can't even run my lower impedance headphones through the jack on the HD. Volume has to be at 100% to be acceptable. HD 650's benefit heavily from being externally amped.
 
EPOQ said:
I'm surprised you are cool with running the HD 650's through the Titanium HD. I can't even run my lower impedance headphones through the jack on the HD. Volume has to be at 100% to be acceptable. HD 650's benefit heavily from being externally amped.
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Yup. If you are listening to those out of an X-Fi, you are not hearing what those headphones actually sound like. The RS-2 should be ok but the 650 really loves power.
 
How do get something like Cmss3d or dolbly headphone for gaming without a sound card though?
I currently have a xonar essence stx and lepai t-amp + bookshelves for best of both worlds.
 
Matthew Kane said:
What do you mean by not able to use it for gaming. The Modi is a DAC and the Magni an amp, the Modi has USB out that he can connect up to his comp. The Magni's is RCA'd to the Modi.
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good luck at locating where the enemy is shooting you from without dolby surround sound, sbx, thx, Cmss3d.

read what OP said, he wants to play games too.
 
I have a bunch of headphones and for gaming and music IMO xonar essence stx is best all around solution the headphone amp is sweet.
 
TroyX said:
good luck at locating where the enemy is shooting you from without dolby surround sound, sbx, thx, Cmss3d.

read what OP said, he wants to play games too.
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i don't use any of that shit and positional audio is more than fine.

OP - since you're a headphones-only user like myself the Titanium HD is a great option to consider. if you're like me and don't care for simulated surround effects, an external combo like O2/ODAC or Magni/Modi would be great. i bought my Titanium HD a couple years ago but if i were buying today i'd be looking at an external solution.
 
The Z does fine with or without the sbx enabled. I like it on for BF3 but otherwise keep it off.
 
EPOQ said:
I'm surprised you are cool with running the HD 650's through the Titanium HD. I can't even run my lower impedance headphones through the jack on the HD. Volume has to be at 100% to be acceptable. HD 650's benefit heavily from being externally amped.
Click to expand...

I also have a Schiit Magni
 
TroyX said:
good luck at locating where the enemy is shooting you from without dolby surround sound, sbx, thx, Cmss3d.

read what OP said, he wants to play games too.
Click to expand...

I play fine without those settings even though I have a Titanium Fat Pro lying around now. Who the shit uses CMSS3D for fps games? Most useless setting of everything.
 
CMSS3D is weird sounding but the sbx pro has an interesting way of making it easier to pick out individual sounds in BF3 that I like. Obviously, unless I am playing an fps I leave it and every other effect off but I do like it for bf3 so far.
 
Yeah but I'm talking about the CMSS3D setting for the previous gen Creative line of cards. It's a mess pool of a setting.
 
I like having both a speaker and headphone setup.

I have a DacMagic Plus that goes to a pair of Adam A3X, but if I want to use my HD650s, I have the DacMagic Plus pass through to my Bifrost DAC and Valhalla amp.
 
I use Titanium HD -> Objective2 amp -> Q701's and it's a great little gaming setup!
 
get Bifrost and Asgard from Schiit then ditch the Sennheiser and get a real headphone set like the Grado SR325i...
 
hardasdf said:
get Bifrost and Asgard from Schiit then ditch the Sennheiser and get a real headphone set like the Grado SR325i...
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Grado for gaming? Really?

Music yes but they don't have the sound stage for gaming or movies. Sennheiser, AKG, Beyer, AT and Stax makes the best gaming headphones.
 
spaceman said:
Grado for gaming? Really?

Music yes but they don't have the sound stage for gaming or movies. Sennheiser, AKG, Beyer, AT and Stax makes the best gaming headphones.
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Grado for gaming is just about the worst idea ever lol.

I would also add HiFiMAN HE-400's to that list of good gaming headphones. They sound amazing with virtually any game I've tried.
 
lol Grado. Although not all Grado models are garbage for gaming. The PS1000 is pretty good with gaming last time I gave it a go. But at $1700, you'd be completely nuts just to have one for gaming strictly lol. Not sure about the rare HP1000's might have to ask Joe/John Grado himself.
 
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